Players and staff from New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team tour the Naval Special Warfare Center in Coronado, Calif., on July 16, 2024. (Mar’Queon Tramble/U.S. Navy)
U.S. Navy SEALs showed off their skills for New Zealand’s national rugby team — the All Blacks — ahead of a Friday night game against Fiji in San Diego.
The three-time Rugby World Cup winners, famous for their fierce pre-game haka, or Polynesian war dance, posted Instagram photographs Tuesday of players interacting with the SEALs and observing training on an obstacle course at the Naval Special Warfare Center.
The team stopped by the center for a leadership discussion and tour of its basic training compound Tuesday, Navy Lt. Alyson Hands, a spokeswoman for the center, told Stars and Stripes by email Thursday.
The center’s commodore, Capt. Clint Burke, and Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command chief Cmdr. John Garrett, along with cadre and medical staff, led the tour and talked leadership with the players, coaches and support staff, she said.
The discussion focused on teamwork, building leaders and creating a culture of excellence — things the SEALs and All Blacks have in common, Hands said.
Players and staff from New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team toured the Naval Special Warfare Center in Coronado, Calif., on July 16, 2024. (Mar’Queon Tramble/U.S. Navy)
“Our mission here at NSW Center is to shape the next generation of SEALs and [Special Warfare Combat Crewmen],” Burke said in comments included with Hands’ email. “Having a chance to speak to the All Blacks was an incredible opportunity to discuss our shared emphasis on teamwork, commitment to excellence as organizations, and the overall building of teams.”
The All Blacks’ visit was a chance to talk about building a world class culture, Garrett said, also in comments emailed by Hands.
“[Naval Special Warfare] and the All Blacks have been building teams based on integrity and resilience for over 80 years, we have a lot of lessons we can learn from each other,” he said. “It was eye opening for my team here at the Basic Training Command to hear how the All Blacks tackle leadership and team building and be able to share how our team takes a similar approach.”
The team, which recently defeated England in a two-match series, plays Fiji at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium before heading home for next month’s Rugby Championship featuring South Africa, Australia, and Argentina.
